A Snap Shot
by Dr Ingram
Summary: The Camera never lies. Set post season 7


**Fandom:** West Wing  
**Title:** A Snap Shot  
**Paring:** Josh/Donna  
**Rating:** PG  
**Beta:** None  
**Spoilers:** Post season 7  
**Summary:** The Camera never lies.

'Good writers borrow from other writers and great writers steal from them outright.' Aaron Sorkin

_A/N: Okay so basically what I've done is stolen an idea from myself. You see over a year or so ago I wrote a House M.D story around some pictures of Jennifer Morrison, __A Picture Paints A Thousand Words.__ Well from looking at this post __101 Reasons to Watch The West Wing__ and seeing some pictures of Janel in there it sparked the idea again. Also like the other story on this website I am unable to post the pictures, but if you go to my livejournal page, the link is in my profile page, then you can view this story with the pictures._

_*****_

_People choose the paths that grant them the greatest rewards for the least amount of effort. That's the law of nature, and you defied it. That's why I hired you. You could have married rich, could have been a model you could have just shown up and people would have given you stuff. Lots of stuff, but you didn't, you worked your stunning little ass off. _

_House M.D Season 1 Pilot Episode_

"Yeah Sam I'm looking at them now."

"You know I don't think they're going to be that big of a deal, I mean it's not as if she's revealing anything." Sam put forward supportively.

Josh let out a breath. "I know, but you know it just adds to the, to the thing." Josh finished lamely.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Sam offered apologetically. "If you need me to write a defence or anything, don't hesitate."

Josh smiled warmly to himself. "Thanks man."

"No problems buddy." There was a quiet moment before Sam added. "And Josh..."

"Yeah?"

"You're girlfriends hot."

"You needed a few pictures to tell you that?"

"No."

Josh's eyebrows rose slightly. "I hope you haven't been leering over my girlfriend."

Sam began back tracking. "No, no I mean I'm just saying..."

"That my girlfriends hot, yes I got that."

"You should be flattered..."

"What, flattered that my best friend is getting the hots for my girlfriend, yeah I'm ecstatic."

There was another pause between them before they both laughed.

"G'bye Josh."

"See ya Sam." And simultaneously they flipped their phones shut, they loved doing that.

Josh took a moment to cast an eye over the pictures again, in the eight years he'd known Donna she'd never mentioned this, not once. He figured the reason for that was because she'd have known that he would have teased her mercilessly about it, and if he were honest with himself, he still would, it was the kind of man he was.

But still he couldn't get over how amazing she looked, not that Josh didn't think Donna looked amazing, she was stunning, always had been in his mind.

_"I think I can be good at this, I think you might find me valuable."_

_"You look really great in that dress tonight, Donna. You should buy it for yourself."_

_"You look amazing." _

_**(Picture)**_

This picture showed the Donna he had known, sweet, sexy and unthreatening, the young college girl stepping into adulthood. Josh shifted uncomfortably in his seat at that thought. Thinking of the age difference between them unnerved him, not as much as it used to, when her being his assistant and younger than him was all he needed to stop him from taking it anywhere. But now, now the age difference was hardly an issue, except for when he was having a little bit of nutty.

For some reason the next picture just made Josh smile, unashamedly.

**(Picture)**

_"Josh."_

_"Perfect timing."_

_"Why?"_

_"I just talked to him."_

_"Jack?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"And?" Donna questioned hopefully._

_"I think I did well. I think I fanned the flame." Josh said proudly._

_"Does he want to go out?"_

_"I think he does."_

_Donna's excitement was rising. "What did he say?"_

_"He said he thought it was cool that you were looking for someone to trade votes."_

_"And what did you say?" Donna's smile was getting wider._

_"I told him there are plenty more where that came from."_

_Donna's face fell slightly. "What do you mean?"_

_"I told him about Ilie Nastase."_

_"Why?" She said with disbelief_

_"What do you mean?" Josh asked with confusion._

_"Why did you tell him that?"_

_"I thought it went with the vote swapping theme."_

_"No, it goes with the crazy theme. What else did you tell him?"_

_"The scented Minsk candles."_

_"Josh..." Donna said with utter shock._

_"These are endearing stories."_

_"If you know me, if you know me well, if you already like me, these are not stories for instance; I would have told you when I was trying to get the job."_

_"When you were trying to get the job, you were pretending that you'd already gotten the job, so it's not like your underwear at an art gallery was going to change my mind."_

_"You told him about the underwear?!"_

_"Again, endearing."_

And they were, they were utterly endearing stories and any woman who would pretend that she had already gotten the job was just, charming, in his eyes.

_"Those are good stories about you though. Those stories would make me like you."_

As Josh scrolled through the pictures the next one caused the smile to fall from his face and his eyes to darken.

_"I quit."_

_"What? Come on no you don't, walk with me."_

_"Look at my face I'm not messing with you."_

_"Donna."_

_"There's gonna be a temp here tomorrow."_

_"Oh for... We were supposed to have lunch, I cancelled, it was crappy of me."_

_"This is what we were going to talk about..."_

_"Ahh tomorrow..."_

_"...we were gonna talk about my job and where it was going, because the working for you is an honour and a privilege, but I'm ready for more and It's not happening here and I've started looking..."_

_"Whoa, slow, slow down. We'll talk about it absolutely, you're right, tomorrow over lunch you and me." Josh walked away. "She quit, oi." _

**(Picture)**

He'd give anything to be able to crawl into that picture, to wrap her up in his jacket and tell her it was okay, to just listen to her.

The last picture was utterly spellbinding; somehow the photographer had managed to capture a glimpse of the future, a glimpse of the woman that Donna would become, the woman that Josh would go to bed with, make love to and wake up with every morning.

**(Picture)**

Where had the woman she'd become been hiding for eight years? Or had she always been there and he just hadn't allowed himself to see her?

The door to his apartment crept open and Josh turned slightly in his seat to watch as Donna elegantly entered. He found himself captivated for a moment by her golden hair loose around her shoulders and the cut of her suit, which professionally accentuated her seductive curves.

Quickly Josh turned back to his laptop and minimized the page containing the pictures. Probably best that she didn't find out about them from looking over his shoulder, he knew that she'd be upset about them, feel that in some way she'd have compromised the administration. Rising from the sofa Josh made his way towards Donna.

"Hey." He said warmly as he placed his hands either side of her hips and gave her a sweet, tender kiss.

With much appreciation Donna responded to his kiss and touch by moaning lightly into his mouth. "Hey."

Pulling back Donna smiled lovingly at Josh. "Sorry I'm late; the First Lady's mother is a talker." She laid a quick kiss on his lips.

"Then no doubt you two got on like a house on fire."

Donna simply smiled as she stepped away from him and dumped her briefcase by the sofa, noting that his laptop was open. "You were working on something?"

Josh's eyes shot up, he took a beat as he looked at Donna before placing his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, well no..." Josh bounced nervously on his feet. Tilting his head to one side he looked intently at Donna. "Something's come up." He said cautiously. "Involving you."

Donna's brow furrowed slightly. "Oookay. What kind of thing?"

Josh pointed to his laptop. "Take a look."

Apprehensively Donna sat herself down in front of Josh's laptop and opened the page containing the pictures, all the while Josh was watching her with concern.

As Donna processed the pictures Josh saw the change in her body language, it was minimal but Josh could see her become dejected, her once straight back and square shoulders now sagged ever so slightly, he knew she was mentally berating herself.

"Donna..." He took a small step towards her. "...these pictures aren't that big of a deal, if we treat it as a non-story...."

"It'll what, go away." She looked over at Josh, her face etched with despondency. "Because of course no one in opposition will mention them again, ever. They won't use them as a quick rib shot to the administration as a reason to point out unprofessionalism, to make..." Donna paused shaking her head dejectedly as she looked away from Josh. "...to make certain innuendos."

Josh pursed his lips slightly. He thought about taking the optimistic route, to say that it wasn't true that it would be forgotten about, but he knew that it would just patronising rather than comforting.

He nodded his head firmly. "You're right; opposition will bring this up for cheap shots." As Josh took another small step towards Donna he shrugged his shoulder. "But the American public won't care; they won't care that in College you did a little bit of modelling for extra money."

"I didn't." A weary breath passed Donna's lips. She tucked her long sleek hair behind her ear as she looked up at Josh. "I didn't do it for extra money, a friend of mine wanted a model for a project she was doing and she asked me, I said yes to help her out and because it sounded like fun, nothing else."

"Okay, I just assumed..."

"Yeah and that's the problem." Donna was now becoming agitated. "People are gonna think I did it for money and then they're gonna wonder what else I did for money and wonder if there aren't some more pictures out there, you know pictures of a, of a..." She was reaching for the right phrase. "...of a naked nature." She hadn't quite made it.

Josh bit the inside of his mouth, trying very hard not to smile, but he was a weak willed man. "A naked nature?" He said smiling with great amusement.

"Josh." Donna couldn't stop the corners of her mouth twitching slightly. "You know what I mean."

Josh closed the distance between him and Donna and sat beside her. "Oh I believe I have a vague idea." He said waggling his eyebrows slightly.

The slight break in tension lingered for a moment until Donna turned to Josh and asked solemnly. "Did you wonder if I'd done anything of that, nature?" She kept her resolve and held the gaze of his chocolate brown eyes.

Josh's eyes didn't flicker or leave Donna's gaze once as he responded with unwavering certainty. "No."

Donna couldn't keep the warm and loving smile which light up her whole face from escaping.

Josh took in a deep breath as a cocky grin enveloped his own face. "But that doesn't mean that I didn't hope..."

Donna rolled her eyes.

"... you know maybe a lingerie layout, or something with you and a few of your girlfriends at a pyjama party..." Josh was cut off by the cushion that Donna threw at his face and then the quietening kiss that she planted on his mouth.

Lightly she placed a hand on his cheek as she rested her forehead against his. "So I guess this is just something that we're going to have to weather from time to time?"

"Yeah, but we've had eight years of practice dealing with innuendos and rumours. I think we'll manage."

"True."

Josh tilted his head to leave a lingering kiss on Donna's lips before he leaned forward and saved the pictures to his laptop.

"You're keeping them?"

"Err yeah." Josh said as if it was clearly obvious. He looked over his shoulder at Donna who was looking at him quizzically. "They're great pictures."

Donna raised her eyebrows. "Really, so you're keeping them for the artistic value?"

"Absolutely, and the hotness value. Though if I find out anyone else in The White House has kept a copy of these... In fact I might check Sam's computer in the morning."

"Sam likes them?"

"Yeah a little too much for my liking."

Using Josh, Donna pushed herself off the sofa. "Well I am a good looking woman Josh."

"Don't I know it? I would just like it if other men didn't know that to, especially if they're my best friend."

Donna stopped and turned to look down at Josh, smiling deviously. "Sam thinks I'm hot?"

Josh gave Donna a pointed stare. "That's not even funny."

Donna's hair fell around her face like a golden curtain as she leaned into Josh, kissing him apologetically.

When Josh didn't responded she deepened the kiss and when she pulled back they both stared directly into each other's eyes, a beat passing between them before Josh responded, his mouth forming into a light smile.

"You're forgiven."

Donna placed one last kiss on Josh's mouth before she stood up straight and turned on the balls of her feet, making her way towards the kitchen. As she did Josh tilted his head slightly and admired her sweet and alluring form as she walked away.

_"You want another drink?"_

_"No."_

How could he have missed that woman?


End file.
